Can Tommy's Oscar go to the top as a novice chaser?
Cheltenham November Meeting: The big questions among the novices
By Adam Houghton
13:44 · FRI November 11, 2022
Adam Houghton focuses on the novices as he picks out three points of interests at Cheltenham's November Meeting.
Can Weveallbeencaught live up to his lofty reputation?
Weveallbeencaught has already been likened to Imperial Commander by trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, so where better to start his career over jumps than Cheltenham’s November Meeting?
After all, it was this fixture at which Imperial Commander really made his name earlier this century, lining up here three years in a row between 2006 and 2008. He finished fourth when making his hurdling debut on the first occasion before coming back to win a novice chase in 2007 and, of course, the Paddy Power Gold Cup in 2008.
Weveallbeencaught takes his first step on that road on Friday when he makes his first start over obstacles in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (15:30), a chance for him to confirm the excellent impression he created when making a winning Rules debut in a Newbury bumper in March.
Bought for £210,000 after winning an Irish point in December, Weveallbeencaught is bred more for stamina than speed and has a big, powerful physique, so it was really encouraging that he could get the job done at Newbury given the way things developed.
In a race run at just an ordinary gallop, he took a keen hold in rear in the early stages and needed to be ridden entering the straight.
It took him a while to find his stride, but there was plenty to like about the way he stayed on to assert close home, ultimately winning by half a length from Collector’s Item, who reopposes on Friday having made a successful hurdling debut at Chepstow last month.
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It’s worth pointing out that all six of Weveallbeencaught’s rivals in this Grade Two have the benefit of previous experience over timber, but it’s another sign of the regard in which he’s held that he’s being pitched straight in at this level. He must be considered a very exciting prospect for staying novice hurdles this season.
Beyond that, Twiston-Davies clearly hopes Weveallbeencaught will end up in a Cheltenham Gold Cup one day, a race Imperial Commander memorably won back in 2010, roughly three years and four months on from his hurdling debut at the November Meeting.
So, never mind Friday. Weveallbeencaught for the 2026 Gold Cup, anyone?
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Can Tommy’s Oscar go to the top as a novice chaser?
The success of the Ann Hamilton yard was one of the most heart-warming stories of last season. Based in Northumberland and with only six individual horses in her care, Hamilton sent out 13 winners from 39 runners in 2021/22, yielding an impressive 33% strike rate.
The veteran Nuts Well has been a terrific servant to Hamilton over the years with a career record of 13 wins from 49 starts under Rules, while the seven-year-old Tommy’s Oscar emerged as the rising star of the operation last term, winning four of his seven starts over hurdles and improving his Timeform rating from 143 to 153.
He produced his best effort when defying a BHA mark of 150 in a handicap at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day and just a repeat of that form was good enough to see him complete his four-timer in the Grade Two Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock in February.
The Champion Hurdle itself proved a step too far for Tommy’s Oscar on his final start of last season, but it’s not out of the question that he could make an impact at the top level as a novice chaser this term. He certainly made a promising start to his career over fences at Carlisle last month, looking an assured jumper and just doing enough late on to get the verdict by a head.
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With nine wins from 16 starts under Rules, Tommy’s Oscar’s career strike rate is even more impressive than that of his yard last season and there’s a good chance that he’s only just getting started, very much the type who could take his form up another level altogether over fences.
An Irish point winner, he is every bit a chaser in demeanour and the large ‘P’ attached to his Timeform rating underlines that he is likely to prove capable of significantly better in this sphere.
One of the best British-trained, two-mile hurdlers of last season, who knows how high Tommy’s Oscar could climb before the end of this campaign. It’s been a brilliant story already and it will be exciting to see what the next chapter brings in Saturday’s From The Horses Mouth Podcast Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase (13:45).
Boom or bust for Ballygrifincottage on chasing debut?
Dan Skelton enjoyed mix fortunes in the novice chases at last year’s November Meeting.
From the low of My Drogo’s fall on the opening day of the meeting to the high of Third Time Lucki’s brilliant success the following afternoon, it just goes to show that you have to take the rough with the smooth when you’re dealing with young, inexperienced chasers learning their trade.
This year Skelton has just one novice chaser among a strong team heading to Cheltenham, namely Ballygrifincottage, who won all three of his completed starts in Irish points and could be a very promising recruit to this sphere.
Ballygrifincottage was essentially marking time over hurdles last term, but he still managed to achieve a useful level of form in just three starts. On his debut he finished third in a Grade Two at Cheltenham’s December Meeting, running a huge race for one so inexperienced as he found only top Irish novice Blazing Khal and the subsequent Grade One winner Gelino Bello too good.
Ballygrifincottage didn’t need to improve on that form to open his account at the second attempt at Lingfield in January, but there was again plenty to like about that effort and he did enough to earn himself a tilt at the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival.
That represented a marked step up in grade, but he proved to be the best of the British in that Grade One as he finished fourth behind The Nice Guy. The emphasis on stamina seemed to suit as he made good progress to chase the leaders before the last having seemingly been labouring and in trouble three out, ultimately passing the post 13 lengths behind the winner.
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A big, raw-boned type, Ballygrifincottage is more of a chaser than a hurdler on looks and the switch to fences this season is all but guaranteed to unlock more improvement, particularly when stamina is at a premium.
Sunday’s mallardjewellers.com Novices’ Chase (13:10) looks an ideal starting point and Skelton will just be hoping he follows Three Time Lucki’s example, rather than that of My Drogo.
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